A queer and fantastical romance that enchants in more ways than one.
Fairy mischief descends on Regency England once again.
The Caesar family occupies a delicate position in 1815 London. They are welcome at most society functions because Lady Mary is the daughter of an earl, but they're kept at arm’s length because her husband is a Senegalese freeman, leaving the family's three children at odds as they enter adulthood. The eldest son, Mr. Caesar, knows he ought to find a career and settle down, but he has no interest in doing so—he's a dandy, plus he's only attracted to men. For the most part, he keeps to the sidelines, until he punches a major in the teeth for insulting the older of his two sisters, Miss Caesar. Not long after, Miss Caesar makes a deal with a fairy that turns her into "the Beauty Incomparable," making the Caesars the center of conversation across London. All this sudden excitement brings Mr. Caesar into repeated contact with Captain Orestes James, a Black man who lives his life much more authentically alongside a steadfast group of soldiers called the Irregulars—which causes Mr. Caesar to imagine other possibilities for his life. And who recounts this complex and quirky story for our mortal enjoyment? Just as in Hall’s Mortal Follies (2023), it’s none other than Robin Goodfellow, still in exile from the court of Oberon and grumpy as ever at having to write up yet another story of foolish mortal behavior in order to make ends meet. (And while this volume stands alone fairly well, it will be best enjoyed after having read the first). His deliciously cruel and flippant voice once again provides a clever framework for the story’s balance of levity and gravity. As “the vagaries of mortal physicality mean little” to Robin, the story is fairly closed-door by Hall’s standards, but there are sparks of chemistry between Mr. Caesar and Captain James. And though the romance often takes a back seat to the grander plot, thanks to piles of rich detail, mythological references, and interactions with the Other Court, readers may not even notice.
A queer and fantastical romance that enchants in more ways than one.Pub Date: Aug. 27, 2024
ISBN: 9780593497586
Page Count: 448
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2024
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.
A promise to his best friend leads an Army serviceman to a family in need and a chance at true love in this novel.
Beckett Gentry is surprised when his Army buddy Ryan MacKenzie gives him a letter from Ryan’s sister, Ella. Abandoned by his mother, Beckett grew up in a series of foster homes. He is wary of attachments until he reads Ella’s letter. A single mother, Ella lives with her twins, Maisie and Colt, at Solitude, the resort she operates in Telluride, Colorado. They begin a correspondence, although Beckett can only identify himself by his call sign, Chaos. After Ryan’s death during a mission, Beckett travels to Telluride as his friend had requested. He bonds with the twins while falling deeply in love with Ella. Reluctant to reveal details of Ryan’s death and risk causing her pain, Beckett declines to disclose to Ella that he is Chaos. Maisie needs treatment for neuroblastoma, and Beckett formally adopts the twins as a sign of his commitment to support Ella and her children. He and Ella pursue a romance, but when an insurance investigator questions the adoption, Beckett is faced with revealing the truth about the letters and Ryan’s death, risking losing the family he loves. Yarros’ (Wilder, 2016, etc.) novel is a deeply felt and emotionally nuanced contemporary romance bolstered by well-drawn characters and strong, confident storytelling. Beckett and Ella are sympathetic protagonists whose past experiences leave them cautious when it comes to love. Beckett never knew the security of a stable home life. Ella impulsively married her high school boyfriend, but the marriage ended when he discovered she was pregnant. The author is especially adept at developing the characters through subtle but significant details, like Beckett’s aversion to swearing. Beckett and Ella’s romance unfolds slowly in chapters that alternate between their first-person viewpoints. The letters they exchanged are pivotal to their connection, and almost every chapter opens with one. Yarros’ writing is crisp and sharp, with passages that are poetic without being florid. For example, in a letter to Beckett, Ella writes of motherhood: “But I’m not the center of their universe. I’m more like their gravity.” While the love story is the book’s focus, the subplot involving Maisie’s illness is equally well-developed, and the link between Beckett and the twins is heartfelt and sincere.
A thoughtful and pensive tale with intelligent characters and a satisfying romance.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-64063-533-3
Page Count: 432
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Review Posted Online: Jan. 2, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
The forbidden romance trope fails because the conflict is so pedestrian.
A professional hockey player has feelings for the one woman he can’t have: his soon-to-be stepsister.
Sig Gauthier loves his job playing defense for the Boston Bearcats, and he’s proved himself a real asset to the team. When this season ends, he will renegotiate his mediocre, low-paying contract, one he accepted while injured and desperate for any team to sign him. When his father asks him to come to dinner to meet his new girlfriend, Sig decides to go, since it’s only a few hours’ drive to Darien, Connecticut, and he’s curious. On the way, his ancient truck breaks down, and he pulls into a country club parking lot where he meets Chloe Clifford, the most beautiful, alluring woman he’s ever seen. Chloe dreams of accepting a seat as a harpist at a conservatory in Boston; however, her wealthy, controlling mother wants her to stay in Darien. That night at dinner, Sig is surprised to find Chloe there—and when they discover their parents are planning to marry each other, they realize they can only be friends themselves. Sig encourages Chloe to come with him to Boston, where he rents her an apartment despite it being a massive financial burden. Several months pass. They long for each other, but studiously ignore their incendiary sexual chemistry and remain friends. When the press realizes that Sig’s biggest fan is his soon-to-be-stepsister, his new general manager tells him he must choose between Chloe or re-signing with the team. Everything rests on the premise that two people who meet as adults would be entering into a taboo, forbidden relationship because their parents are about to marry. Although Bailey does her best to sell it, the pretext keeping her characters apart is thin and underdeveloped. Chloe and Sig are wild for each other from the second they meet, which negates any attempt to create tension or conflict.
The forbidden romance trope fails because the conflict is so pedestrian.Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780063380783
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Oct. 26, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2024
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